jump the shark

verb

Of television program or other narrative, to undergo a storyline development which heralds a fundamental and generally disappointing change in direction.

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Meanings

verbjump the shark (third-person singular simple present jumps the shark, present participle jumping the shark, simple past and past participle jumped the shark)

present singular third person jumps the shark · participle present jumping the shark · participle past jumped the shark · past jumped the shark

  1. idiomaticbroadcastingOf television program or other narrative, to undergo a storyline development which heralds a fundamental and generally disappointing change in direction.

    Returning show everyone will say has jumped the shark: "House."

    2010 September 16, Michael Hewitt, “The Watcher: Which new TV shows will take off?”, in Orange County Register
    2 more examples

    Happy Days infamously jumped the shark when Fonzie literally jumped a shark on water skis. I Love Lucy jumped the shark when Lucy and Ricky moved to the suburbs. The Brady Bunch jumped the shark when Cousin Oliver moved in.

    2003, Jon Hein, Jump the Shark, book overview (revised edition; Plume; →ISBN, 9780452284104)

    From that point on, Dallas was never the same. It hit its peak. It lost credibility. It jumped the shark.

    2004, Ronn Owens, Voice of Reason: Why the Left and Right Are Wrong, John Wiley & Sons, published 2004, →ISBN, page 212
  2. broadlyidiomaticTo experience a decline in quality, appeal, popularity, etc.

    And I knew something was up when I started getting press releases about "tape labels." Maybe vinyl had finally jumped the shark, and magnetic tape was due for a return.

    2008 October 11, Cortney Harding, “Tape echo”, in Billboard
    2 more examples

    Pintsize: Wait, don’t you want to know why I’m tied up and hanging from the ceiling? Faye: Not really. Nighty night! Pintsize: Shit! My wacky antics have jumped the shark!

    2007, Jeph Jacques, “Time To Add A Cute Kid To The Cast”, in Questionable Content, number 951

    The Bangles were a fine all-woman band, starting with a lovely cover of Prince's "Manic Monday." "Walk Like an Egyptian" was cute, and the ladies rocked out an unlikely cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Hazy Shade of Winter." But they jumped the shark with the treacly "Eternal Flame," and the end of the road was in sight.

    2008, Mark Fogarty, Went to See the Gypsy, Lulu.com, published 2008, →ISBN, page 150

Origin

From Hollywood (Part 3), an episode in 1977 during the fifth season of the American television series Happy Days, in which the character Fonzie jumped over a shark on waterskis. The expression argues that it was at this point that the show bore no similarity to its original form.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French sauter le requin
  • sauter le requinTo undergo a storyline development which heralds a fundamental and generally disappointing change in direction.
German auf dem absteigenden Ast sein
  • auf dem absteigenden Ast seinTo experience a decline in quality, appeal, popularity, etc.
Polish schodzić na psy z fabułą, zejść na psy z fabułą
  • schodzić na psy z fabułąTo undergo a storyline development which heralds a fundamental and generally disappointing change in direction.
  • zejść na psy z fabułąTo undergo a storyline development which heralds a fundamental and generally disappointing change in direction.
  • schodzić na psyTo experience a decline in quality, appeal, popularity, etc.
  • zejść na psyTo experience a decline in quality, appeal, popularity, etc.
Cite this entry
APA

jump the shark. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jump%20the%20shark

MLA

“jump the shark.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jump%20the%20shark. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “jump the shark,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jump%20the%20shark.

Source: jump the shark on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.